Summer Rain
by Afleurdelis
Summary: As school is coming to an end for the year, Mitarai Kiyoshi, or Seaman, still lacks social skills even after the case with Sensui. When a large school social event, a school dance, is near he tries to avoid depression and be more social and confident.
1. The Announcement

Summer rain hit the windows of the warm school as the announcements came through the intercom. All morning it had been raining, leaving the streets and the people that walked by drenched in water. Dully, Seaman turned his head to look up and hear what the school staff had to say to the students and faculty.

"The annual end of the year semi-formal dance is being held at the end of the week, this Friday. Also, Morigata-sensei will be retiring this year after 46 years of teaching. We all wish him well."

Mitarai looked down, avoiding the eyes of all other students. The thought of going to a school dance was not the most cheerful thought for him in the least. Grabbing his books to head for the next class he would have forgotten about the whole thing if the rest of the school had not been talking about it in every conversation he overheard as he walked by. This continued for the rest of the day until the school hours had passed and Mitarai left to walk home.

As he walked home, he kept his eyes away from the other people and on the ground. He made a turn for the corner when he walked straight into a tall, muscular boy, causing him to knock himself over and into a wet puddle on the edge of the sidewalk and the street. Petrified, he scrambled to grab his dropped things as the figure turned to him.

"Hey, watch where you're…" the voice started, but then trailed off slowly as the boy bent down to look at Seaman who had not looked up at him. He turned to look up as he eased himself out of the puddle and slowly back onto the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry, sir I didn't mean to-" but he stopped before he finished as his eyes locked with the boy in the blue school uniform. He was completely silent as a boy with slicked back hair wearing a green uniform appeared behind the taller boy and gave him a grin.

"Well, if it isn't Mitarai," the boy said, the grin still plastered on his face.

Mitarai smiled and nodded to both of them as he stood up, brushing some dirt and grime off of his own school uniform as he looked up at the older boys. "Nice to see you too, Kuwabara, Yusuke," he replied.

Kuwabara examined him as he peered into Seaman's face. "Hey… why the long face? No one's been picking on you recently, have they?" he asked, flexing an arm muscle as if he were preparing for a fight while his grin grew dark and into a frown.

Mitarai shook his head. "Oh, no, not at all," he answered. "It's nothing, really." Yusuke gave Mitarai a look and then let a smile come by.

"It's not… some kind of girl, is it? They tend to do that to you," Yusuke replied.

Kuwabara grinned as he looked at Yusuke. "Hey, you better be glad Keiko isn't here to hear that." Yusuke shrugged his shoulders and then looked back at Mitarai.

Mitarai laughed at the two of them and shook his head again. "No, no, it's not that. Just some school dance on Friday for the end of the year. I don't really think I will go," he said. Yusuke nodded as Kuwabara frowned.

"Hey, that's no fun. You should go," Kuwabara replied. Yusuke laughed.

"Are you kidding me? School dances are the worst. You dress up, go over and ask some girl to dance with you, and then they turn you down anyway and it was all a waste," Yusuke said. Mitarai laughed as Kuwabara frowned again.

"No, he should go. You know, it isn't good to just avoid being social. How do you expect him to make any friends?" Kuwabara asked.

Yusuke paused for a moment, and then nodded dully. "Yeah.. I guess it would be good for him to go."

Mitarai gave them a weak smile. "What would I do though? Just go?" he asked.

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah… and then you've gotta ask some girl to dance with you," he added.

Mitarai shook his head as his face went a little pink. "No.. I don't think I…" he began, but then he trailed off as Kuwabara interrupted him.

"Hey, you can do it. Just ask some nice girl." Kuwabara and Yusuke peered at Mitarai as they waited for him to reply.

Mitarai stood there for a few moments before he shook his head. "No.. I don't think I could. Besides, I cannot dance. I never tried it before."

Yusuke snickered. "Neither can I, but that doesn't mean Keiko would be afraid to dance with me. They really don't care… at least I don't think they do."

Mitarai shook his head quickly after. "I don't think so. I'm a bit more clumsy, and Keiko likes you."

Kuwabara glanced down at Mitarai after a while of silence on his part. "What if we teach you how to dance?"

"I suppose," Mitarai replied.

Kuwabara grinned. "Okay then.. We teach you how to dance, and then you can go and have fun. Deal?"

Mitarai sighed, seeing no way of getting out of this. "It's a deal."


	2. Practice

Well, I have not updated this in a while. I never intended on having it take so long. Oh my. I am so sorry. I think I will update everything shortly, since I have summer now.

To answer questions, no, it will not be a yaoi pairing. It is more about development for Mitarai than to introduce him as a romantic character. I might consider doing something like that afterwards. I don't know yet.

* * *

Keiko, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Mitarai all sat down in the Yukimura dining area. The group had decided to drop by Keiko's to talk to her about teaching Mitarai to dance and talking to girls, and she might be of some assistance to them. 

She was a little angry at first that hey just had to stop by when she was having an evening snack, but in the end she was happy to assist their younger friend. She offered them one as well as she ran off to get music to practice with.

Keiko hurried back into the room, placing a stack of CDs on the table. "Okay, how about we start with this one?" She flipped through some of them, pulling out some of the more popular music that she remembered was played at one of their dances despite it not being a particular favorite. She walked across the living space to the television, and placed the disk in the CD player in the bottom of the entertainment center. After pushing play, she turned around to smile brightly at the three of them.

"Let's see what you can do first, Mitarai." Keiko returned to her seat at the table, and it was made apparent that he would be dancing alone, with three people watching him. His face flushed bright red. He paused for a moment, before he stood from his seat, and walked out in front of the table between the living space and the dining area.

"Well, I could try." He stood for a few moments before he did anything, and then started leaning back and fourth very slightly. He started leaning a little more, and then rose his arms to waist level, shifting them slightly back and fourth with the music. He looked down at his feet, stepping only slightly, only to make his actual steps a little bigger.

Keiko bit her lip hard to keep herself from laughing, since she knew it could destroy his confidence. Kuwabara and Yusuke buried fists into their faces for a few short moments before they started laughing hysterically.

"Oh man, Mitarai, you're killing me," Yusuke said, bending over to laugh harder. Mitarai frowned, and Keiko shot a glare at him.

"You're terrible, Yusuke," she said before standing up. "Okay. Let's help him now." Yusuke and Kuwabara both stood up to follow her lead.

"Okay," Yusuke said, folding his arms. "What do we do?"

"When you are dancing, you have to get a feel for the rhythm of the music. So first just move with the beat that has been given to you instead of doing your own." Mitarai nodded, and Keiko smiled at him. "Okay, so follow my lead." She started moving her hips left and right, keeping in tune with the music.

Mitarai tried to follow her motion, but was rather shy about moving his hips back and fourth, and so he made very small and awkward motions that were slightly off beat. Keiko shook her head.

"Try not to be so nervous about moving. You are not moving your hips as far as you think you are, so put a little more into it." She nodded as his motion got a little bigger, but he was still not quite syncopated.

Yusuke watched Keiko move, while Kuwabara kept a fist near his face in a pensive pose, a very amused look on his face.

"Okay, now try to match the beat a little more now that you get more of the motion for it." He nodded again, taking a rest for a few moments before he started moving again, this time moving with the music instead of against it.

"Hey! You're getting it!" Kuwabara yelled across the room at him.

"Okay, now let's try something else," Yusuke said. "Move your shoulders a little bit."

Mitarai blinked at him, and his motion got a little smaller. "What do you mean?" Yusuke sighed.

"Here. Like this." Yusuke moved his body left and right, including his hips and his shoulders. Keiko shot a small glare at him.

"You never liked to go to the school dances before, Yusuke," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Yeah, that's because I don't want to spend any more time with those sonnovabitches who supervise," he retorted. Mitarai took his time putting a little more emotion into his motions, and grinned. Keiko smiled at him.

"Alright. That is good for now. Just don't be afraid to show them what you have." She walked over to the CD player and changed the music. "Now let's try a slower song."

Mitarai lifted his hands, and then put them back down. He was more nervous about dancing with girls than on his own. "Yusuke? You don't mind?" Yusuke shrugged.

"You're just dancing with her." Mitarai nodded.

"Okay." Keiko folded her hands.

"Okay, so when a slow song starts, you approached her and ask her to dance." Mitarai looked down, a little red.

"But what do I say?" Yusuke and Kuwabara fought off laughs at his apparent lack of any intuition with women, and so Keiko had to answer again.

"Well... I suppose you just ask if she would like to dance with you." Mitarai slowly nodded this time.

"Okay..." Keiko smiled at him.

"Okay, so try asking me." He looked up at her with a confused look.

"That's just too strange..."

"Well?" Mitarai sighed.

"Keiko, would you like to dance with me?" he said with a rather bored expression. Keiko frowned.

"No girl is going to accept an invitation if you say it like that. Try... just being a little more natural."

"Okay... Keiko, would you like to dance with me?" Keiko smiled.

"Yes, I would like to." She approached him. "Okay, put your hands on my waist." He hesitated a moment before placing his hands on her waist, and then looked up at her quizzically. Kuwabara and Yusuke buried their mouths into their hands again to prevent laughter.

"Good, now just follow my lead." Keiko put her hands behind his neck, and then started to sway slowly back and fourth. Mitarai shifted a little awkwardly before he caught on to the movement. "See? It isn't so bad."

He nodded, and then pulled away. "Thank you, Keiko."

"Oh, don't mention it," she said with a smile.

Yusuke and Kuwabara then crowded around them. It was now time for the teasing to commence.

"So," Yusuke began. "Thinking of asking any specific girl to dance?"

"I bet she's _really_ pretty," Kuwabara chimed in. Mitarai flushed bright pink.

"Well… I… not really…" he answered them. He got back a few blank stares.

"Oh, come on Mitarai, what's her name?" Yusuke prodded.

"I told you, I don't really-"

"It's not like we would know her," Yusuke replied.

"No, it's just that I-"

"Well… boys then?" Yusuke asked, looking a little confused.

"No," he answered quickly. "I just don't really like anyone in particular. I mean, they're pretty, but they don't really know me."

"Well, I'm sure that girls do like you. You're adorable," Keiko said, and then patted him on the head. He grinned.

"I… oh. Just adorable?" he asked, not quite sure if he liked that description.

"Adorable is good. If a girl doesn't like you for who you are, she isn't worth your time. Remember that, okay?" Keiko said. Mitarai nodded.

"Thanks. That's… that's good advice." He smiled, apparently in a better mood than he had been before.

"I'm going to go home now. Thank you for the help, everyone." Kuwabara grinned.

"Don't mention it."

"Tell us how it goes later!" Keiko said, waving at him as he put on his shoes and lead himself out of the door.

"Do you think he'll actually ask anyone to dance?" Yusuke asked, looking down at Keiko. She shook her head.

"I sure hope so."


End file.
